What's in a name? Camping Log Day 1

On Saturday, we returned from another awesome camping trip at F.J. McLain State Park eight miles north of Hancock, Michigan. I have blogged about this place enough before. I’ve shared enough pictures before as well. You still get a few more pictures.

Campsite is set up and Dino is starting to settle in.

A fort some kids had fun building on the beach. 

I can't tell if the camp store is open or closed, but at least they directed me to the door. 

I always wondered where the name came from. Who was F. J. McLain and why does he have a park in the Upper Peninsula named after him? I thought a quick internet search after I got home would answer my question, but I was out of luck. I could have asked about it up at the Park, but I bet no one there knows either.

I looked into other Michigan state parks and discovered that Van Riper Park was named after Dr. Paul Van Riper who practiced medicine in that area for most of his 91 years and was involved in local politics.  J. W. Wells State Park was established in 1925 when the children of John Walter Wells made a donation to the state. Mr. Wells had been a pioneer lumberman and mayor of a nearby town starting in 1893. 

But nothing on F.J. McLain until my hubby got home from town. When I mentioned this to him, he quickly answered, “But didn’t you read the sign?”

“What sign?”

“I can’t remember where it was, but I saw a sign that talked about a McLain.”

Really? You know what that means, don’t you? We'll just have to go back to the UP and find this sign.

Sunrise

Sunset. And sometimes that's all you get. But it is good enough for me.